Apple is bringing iOS 8 to the forefront today, and it represents significant overall haul feature-wise compared to iOS 7. iOS brings actionable notifications that have already been available in Mavericks. So if you receive a test message or even a Facebook notification, you can swipe down and reply without actually going to the app.

QuickType learns how you type and provides word suggestions as you type (hello, SwiftKey). But the word suggestions are also context sensitive. In the demo, Craig Federighi received an iMessage asking if he wanted to go to a dinner or a movie. The word suggestions automatically had “A movie” and “Dinner” ready as responses to immediately send back.

QuickType in iOS 8

Likewise, word suggestions will adapt to provide quick responses based on how you talk with different contacts. So interacting with a co-worker may shows you more formal language, work-related responses, while interacting with your wife or friend could show more informal suggestions based on past conversations.

Federighi was quick to point out that your privacy is protected with word suggestions and they never leave the device.

As expected, Apple today its Health app. The Health app, used in conjunction with the HealthKit app, can gather information from all of the various fitness- and health-related apps and hardware devices made for iOS and store in a single, centralized location.

Family Sharing

Family Sharing allows up to six family members to not only share calendar events and photo streams, but also purchases (books, apps, music). Parents can also be prompted when a child attempts to make a purchase – the parent can then either accept or deny the purchase.

Apple is really opening up iOS 8 to developers with Extensions. Thanks to extensions, third-party developers will now be able to provide widgets in Notification Center (better late then never). Extensions will also allow third-party apps to better communicate with each other (and with first-party Apple apps). That means that you can have also have widgets within Safari for things like word translation, and even third-party keyboards like Swype.

Cloud Drive in iOS 8

Apple is also spreading the wealth with Touch ID, as it is also being opened up to third-party developers.

As we reported earlier this month, iOS 8 includes a new developer SDK for home automation. HomeKit will allows iOS users to control locks, lights, cameras, thermostats, and even switches via one single interface. That means, no more separate apps for each device — all of your smart devices will be able to communicate via HomeKit. In addition, Siri integration is included along with the ability to group activities into Scenes.

For example, you can tell Siri “Go to bed,” and all of the locks in your house could be activated, exterior lights could turn off, your garage door would be closed (if it wasn’t already), and your thermostat would be set to your desired temperature).

What a hypocrite, and so transparent. Most of the people in this thread post of a wide variety of articles from politics to science to tech and "other" - anything that is posted... Jack only posts in articles related to Apple and its competitors and posts telling everyone else they are biased and here on an agenda. Hilarious.

Yup... At least you are here posting on a wide variety of issues (you and I have argued with and against each other on many of them LOL) But this clown posts only on Apple articles and it's always venomous and purely negative. Never a kind word, never a joke or an inkling of being a human being, just pure spite like Testerguy.

I agree that iOS users would benefit from a more fleshed out, dynamic UI.

But in all honesty, the integration seems more interesting to me. Widgets are a "me too" catchup feature from Apple while the SMS/call handoff/app resume functionality across the iPad/iPhone/Mac actually seems genuinely more noteworthy.

Samsung's Galaxy S5 has a fingerprint scanner (gasp!). Why? Because iPhones have one. If the latest iPhones did not include a fingerprint scanner, I doubt very much the S5 would have had one either.

Copying happens and everybody does it. I have a feeling once iOS 8 goes out there will be a fresh set of IP violation injunctions flying around. Problem is the only ones that end up benefiting from all that litigation is the legal teams these guys use to pursue them. And the ones losing is us -- the buying public.

The industry moves ahead when good ideas are put out there and others are allowed to adopt them - which entrenches that new technology so deeply into the marketplace it becomes a standard by which anything else is measured.

Remember Betamax? Far superior technology than VHS, but because Sony tends to be lock up their ideas as 'me only' proprietary solutions, it never really took off. People flocked to the less technically viable, but far more available VHS standard. Sure Sony is still around and making plenty of money, but they are not creating any standards and not selling as many of their products as they would if they simply allowed others to advance their technologies as standards.

Good ideas that get put out there and are never copied end up being left at the side of the road forgotten.

Samsung is obviously a very capable company, but sorry, I have a hard time believing they would have had the time to implement a fingerprint scanner as a reactionary move to the iPhone. Something like that takes time in research and development to bring to market.

They were obviously going to have biometric security anyway in their next generation flagship, regardless.

"Something like that takes time in research and development to bring to market"

It does, and being a key supplier in the arena with contacts from all part vendors for all makers they are aware of whats coming long before hte public is... But meh, who cares. I was just saying it was a valid point. Both companies copy each other as well as hey copy other companies and those other companies copy them. It's normal, the only crappy thing is the suing for it (cough Apple).

Fingerprint scanners have been around for years and are not really all that tough to implement. Motorola did it a few years ago so it's not something new. Who is to say that Samsung didn't have an R&D project just sitting in the wings waiting for a ripe time to bring it out? Samsung is big enough to have dozens of R&D labs pursuing all kinds of future tech that they can drop in at a moment's notice. Why not fingerprint scanners lifted from Motorola? 3 years isn't a long time at all to adapt one & save it as a hole card.

The timing of this can't be ignored though. Galaxy S4 goes out - no scanner. iPhone 5 goes out with scanner and Apple pounds on their chest like Tarzan about it. Galaxy S5 goes out with scanner. There is no real reason Samsung had to put that you there at this time other than marketing pressure from their #1 competitor.

quote: sorry, I have a hard time believing they would have had the time to implement a fingerprint scanner as a reactionary move to the iPhone

Knowing the nature of Samsung and its shady practices, I don't think you even realize what the heck you're talking about.

Your "I refuse to use an OS that I will never use" diatribe is the digital equivalent of supporting segregation and apartheid. Thoroughly disgusting and inhuman coming from Reclaimer77... natch, "Android for everything, including 14" laptops" Testerguy 3.